[fred]

From an ACBL Sectional tournament in Sedona, Arizona - a place one should visit if one has the opportunity

Scoring: IMP

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West opens 1C (standard) in 3rd seat. Partner makes a slightly sick takeout double. RHO thinks this over a bit and tries 1NT. You contribute greatly to the overall sickness of the auction and bid 2S. This is passed around to RHO who thinks some more but finally passes.

LHO leads a trump to RHO's Ace. RHO cashes the Queen of trump and switches to a club. You play the 10 and LHO plays the Ace.

How do you plan the play from here?

Fred Gitelman
Bridge Base Inc.
www.bridgebase.com

[cnszsun]

My only hope is my LHO holding ♦K, so that i have time to set 4th ♥ pithcing a ♦ loser.
I need to finesse twice in ♥ (♥ honors are very likely split), but i have only one ♣ entry to hand.
So, i will risk to pitch ♣K under LHO's ♣A, now i can return to hand twice. If ♣J is not in RHO, I have to say sorry to my partner.

[Fluffy]

Without thining too much it seems unblock ♣K just because it is a problem . wouldn't do at the table.

[fred]

OK good start (unblocking the King of Clubs I mean).

But what if LHO has 4 hearts?

Fred Gitelman
Bridge Base Inc.
www.bridgebase.com

[Fluffy]

Ok thinking a bit more, RHO probabl though about bidding 3 Clubs, West is probably 3433 then.

I can see him squeezed, but I ain't seeing every combinaion for the ending, since it is his turn to avoid the first endplay lets see how he escapes.

[Winstonm]

fred, on Mar 6 2007, 12:42 AM, said:

From an ACBL Sectional tournament in Sedona, Arizona - a place one should visit if one has the opportunity

Dealer: East Vul: Both Scoring: IMP

♠ 1032 ♥ AJ102 ♦ A92 ♣ K32 ♠ J9654 ♥ 543 ♦ Q8 ♣ Q109

West opens 1C (standard) in 3rd seat. Partner makes a slightly sick takeout double. RHO thinks this over a bit and tries 1NT. You contribute greatly to the overall sickness of the auction and bid 2S. This is passed around to RHO who thinks some more but finally passes.

LHO leads a trump to RHO's Ace. RHO cashes the Queen of trump and switches to a club. You play the 10 and LHO plays the Ace.

How do you plan the play from here?

Fred Gitelman
Bridge Base Inc.
www.bridgebase.com

It depends on the defense, I believe. If LHO cashes the spade K and exits with a club (i've unblocked), I have to lead a heart and if LHO splits, I win, return in clubs, then finish the spades in a 4-card ending with LHO holding Kx, Kx.

If RHO instead exits club, I lead a heart and duck, and if LHO tries the effect of playing more clubs without cashing the spade K, I win in hand, repeat the heart finesse, cash the Ace and ruff the 4th round, then lead the last spade, endplaying LHO.

[Al_U_Card]

You are right, Fred, not only is Sedona a nice place to visit but the sorrounding red rock country and Oak Creek canyon are also very picturesque.......and they play bridge there too????

[bid_em_up]

fred, on Mar 6 2007, 12:42 AM, said:

From an ACBL Sectional tournament in Sedona, Arizona - a place one should visit if one has the opportunity

Dealer: East Vul: Both Scoring: IMP

♠ 1032 ♥ AJ102 ♦ A92 ♣ K32 ♠ J9654 ♥ 543 ♦ Q8 ♣ Q109

West opens 1C (standard) in 3rd seat. Partner makes a slightly sick takeout double. RHO thinks this over a bit and tries 1NT. You contribute greatly to the overall sickness of the auction and bid 2S. This is passed around to RHO who thinks some more but finally passes.

LHO leads a trump to RHO's Ace. RHO cashes the Queen of trump and switches to a club. You play the 10 and LHO plays the Ace.

How do you plan the play from here?

Fred Gitelman
Bridge Base Inc.
www.bridgebase.com

I think I need to know what LHO does next after winning the club A (and we unblock the K) before I can reasonably "plan the play from here".

I would expect him to cash the spade K and exit with a diamond, but stranger things have happened. Of course, I would expect RHO to hold the diamond K, since he should have shifted to a diamond, not a club at trick three if he is not holding the diamond K. The club Ace wasnt going anywhere.

[fred]

bid_em_up, on Mar 6 2007, 05:05 PM, said:

fred, on Mar 6 2007, 12:42 AM, said:

From an ACBL Sectional tournament in Sedona, Arizona - a place one should visit if one has the opportunity

<!-- NORTHSOUTH begin --><table border=1> <tr> <td> <table> <tr> <td>Dealer:</td> <td> East </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Vul:</td> <td> Both </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Scoring:</td> <td> IMP </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td> <table border='1'> <tr> <th> <table> <tr> <th class='spades'>♠</th> <td> 1032 </td> </tr> <tr> <th class='hearts'>♥</th> <td> AJ102 </td> </tr> <tr> <th class='diamonds'>♦</th> <td> A92 </td> </tr> <tr> <th class='clubs'>♣</th> <td> K32 </td> </tr> </table> </th> </tr> <tr> <th> <table> <tr> <th class='spades'>♠</th> <td> J9654 </td> </tr> <tr> <th class='hearts'>♥</th> <td> 543 </td> </tr> <tr> <th class='diamonds'>♦</th> <td> Q8 </td> </tr> <tr> <th class='clubs'>♣</th> <td> Q109 </td> </tr> </table> </th> </tr> </table> </td> <td>  </td> </tr> </table><!-- NORTHSOUTH end -->

West opens 1C (standard) in 3rd seat. Partner makes a slightly sick takeout double. RHO thinks this over a bit and tries 1NT. You contribute greatly to the overall sickness of the auction and bid 2S. This is passed around to RHO who thinks some more but finally passes.

LHO leads a trump to RHO's Ace. RHO cashes the Queen of trump and switches to a club. You play the 10 and LHO plays the Ace.

How do you plan the play from here?

Fred Gitelman
Bridge Base Inc.
www.bridgebase.com

I think I need to know what LHO does next after winning the club A (and we unblock the K) before I can reasonably "plan the play from here".

(I would expect him to cash the spade K and exit with a diamond, but stranger things have happened).

At the table he actually cashed the King of spades and exited with a heart. I finessed, RHO won and returned a club.

But there are other play sequences that are interesting as well.

Fred Gitelman
Bridge Base Inc.
www.bridgebase.com

[fred]

bid_em_up, on Mar 6 2007, 05:05 PM, said:

Of course, I would expect RHO to hold the diamond K, since he should have shifted to a diamond, not a club at trick three if he is not holding the diamond K. The club Ace wasnt going anywhere.

Not a valid inference.

For one thing, if you had a similar hand with the King of diamonds and a weaker club holding, a club shift could easily be necessary.

Besides that, if you (reasonably) assume that RHO likely has a heart honor for his 1NT bid (and LHO's lack of a high heart lead) then LHO must have the King of diamonds for the bidding to make any sense.

Fred Gitelman
Bridge Base Inc.
www.bridgebase.com

[Fluffy]

If the ♣10 holds it seems viena coup will work.

I was afraid LHO would return his top H, or just play it when I try the suit myself, but that is not everyday's defence.

If they play ♥ to RHO who shifts to ♦ before cashing the spade I guess 2♠ won't make.

[fred]

Fluffy, on Mar 6 2007, 07:23 PM, said:

If they play ♥ to RHO who shifts to ♦ before cashing the spade I guess 2♠ won't make.

Correct. If they do that you need hearts 3-3.

(And once you unblock the King of clubs you obviously need the Jack of clubs on your right as well).

Fred Gitelman
Bridge Base Inc.
www.bridgebase.com